ORP Votes to Rig Primary Election

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 9, 2018

Akron, OH: Tom Zawistowski, President of the Ohio Citizens PAC, called out members of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee today for their vote to endorse in the upcoming primary elections instead of letting Republican voters decide, with their primary vote, who should be their Party’s representative in the November general elections. The ORP State Central Committee voted to endorse in both the Governor’s race and in the US Senate primary race as well as endorse every Republican who is an incumbent – including themselves as incumbent members of the State Central Committee. Zawistowski claimed that the vote Friday was an attempt to rig the primary election for the party establishment and was a step backward from protecting the right of all citizens to vote in fair and open elections.

Zawistowski said, “Is it not the responsibility of political parties to assure fair and open elections? Is it not a sacred constitutional right, and the very bedrock of our political system, that We the People have a legitimate vote in all elections? A right to vote for the fellow citizens who we best think will represent our interests and values in local, state and federal office? Yet today’s Ohio Republican State Central Committee vote, and the appalling actions of Democrats to make sure that Bernie Sanders had no chance of winning in the 2016 primary, delegitimizes our vote. Today’s action demonstrates how both major political parties are intent upon making sure that voters have no one to vote for except the candidates the party establishments chose. The fact is that both political parties do not believe in our form of government, they do not believe in fair elections that are open to all comers. They only believe in protecting their own power and using it against citizens and for their own benefit, which is why they rig election against anyone who challenges them. That is why abused Republicans and abused Democrats alike voted for Donald Trump who threatens the power of both political parties. It is because of actions like those taken today by the ORP that over 85% of people in a poll we recently conducted said they wish that Trump would leave the Republican Party and form a new political party.”

Zawistowski concluded, “Let us be clear, just like the Democrats, these endorsements today by the ORP provide an unfair advantage for those they endorsed. Only those endorsed by the Party can use the Republican Party’s electoral assets for their campaigns, saving those candidates collectively millions of dollars. Plus, it will keep donors who do not want to be targeted by the Party from giving to opposing candidates. When average citizens wonder “why can’t we fix government” the answer is that both political parties have “fixed” the election process so that those in power stay in power whether you like them or not. Their simply is nothing fair about it. As Donald Trump said, and we have now proven, the system is “rigged” against the people. All we can suggest is that citizens come out in droves the the primary and vote for anyone but the incumbent and those endorsed by their political party – including those on the state central committee who voted to endorse. The goal of the Ohio Citizens PAC will be to make sure that voters know who the incumbents are and who the challengers are in every primary race this year.”